Articles with keyword: polis

The main aim of the study is to identify the Hesiodian motifs in Plato’s philosophy. Thus the study is founded on the assumption that myth (the poetic tradition) and logos (the philosophical tradition) do not represent two distinct paradigms in ancient Greek thought, but more a kind of thought continuity. We will look for these motives or analogies at the level of organisation of the world (kosmos) and at the level of organisation of society (polis). We will deal primarily with Plato’s dialogues Timaeus, Republic and Symposium. The goal of the submitted study is to answer the question of whether and to what extent did Hesiod’s work influence Plato’s ideas about the organisation of the world and society as such.

In this paper we will refer to justice, which is the cardinal platonic virtue, with reference to economy. It is the most basic problem which runs from the ancient to modern times since the modern societies make an attempt to combine, the economic effects on social justice so long as its aim is the prosperity of citizens. The importance of this goal for society refers to the effect of the conflict of interests between the social classes but the scale of values in every society depends on the philosophical and the political theory of the state.

This paper aims to understanding perspectives of the Aristotelian Polis in today’s society. As the modern world becomes increasingly globalized, digitalized, “virtual” etc, it is important to concentrate on the basic unit at which Aristotle’s political philosophy were intended to operate under the Polis, the city –state of the ancient Greece. Looking closer at how the Polis is referred in Aristotle’s Politics, it appears that the Polis was both a geographical particular location (Oikismos) and actively participated citizens (polites) in their community through moral and virtual political involvement (Politeia). The Polis was defined as a political ensemble of participated citizens, and one Polis differs from another by its Politeia. The Polis was by nature and Men also were by nature inclined to the Polis because they are by nature inclined to eudaimonia, to happiness. The Polis was the only human institution that can allow men to be real happy living a virtuous good life. The Polis exists for the common good life and we must rethink about the common political moral conceptions of the happiness, the freedom, the self-sufficient, real democracy. Today, the modern conception of a world nation-state or of local authorities’ institutions differs dramatically from that of the Polis. The Aristotelian Polis can be restart in a way to aim to restore the ideas of the virtual life and the ultimate happiness to our urban planning attitudes. But it would be very difficult to incorporate the Aristotelian thought in relation to the present society as the world state is concerned with the external economic evaluation of the society. So it is necessary to incorporate the Aristotelian idea of the Polis by strengthening the sense of the virtual and moral way of life and the local community identity, engaging more people to participate at a local level politic life, by making real democratic political activity personal rather than a mere matter of statistics and digital icons. Finally, Aristotle should still remain an important thinker for today urban society. The Polis can demonstrate again the importance of sharing an integrated and common democratic political relationship between men - citizens and urban society.

Anatolia is considered one of the most diverse areas of settled Greek communities by topography, climate or history, as a place where multiple language and ethnic groups moved around, being influenced by and influencing each other. Many Greek poleis in Anatolia continued to flourish and prosper in the Hellenistic period. Some of them had to come to terms with a new position of subordination to a king, but the majority of them had been familiar with such rule before. Awareness of citizenship can be seen as a formal symbol of autonomy and independence. The individual character of the ruler or city-state representative appeared in a prominent place, standing, in iconography, between the divine and human sphere. Numerous Anatolian poleis awarded euergetai during their lifetime and legitimized declining state power in this manner. There are also signs of social transformations, if gradual ones. The huge increase in numbers of inscriptions is one of most striking features of the surviving epigraphic evidence. Written sources indicate that honors as well as memorials for citizens emphasized city-state autonomy, too. A similar tendency is traceable by a process traditionally defined as private hero cult, related to the religious life as much as to the political statements and social classification.

The paper deals with the beginnings of the Greek ethical discourse in elegies of an archaic lyric poet Theognis of Megara. In the introduction author shortly discusses the question of origin and influence of the Theognidea. Then he gradually follows and interprets the occurrences of the expression “μηδὲν ἄγαν” (Nothing in excess), of the words σωφροσύνη (soundness of mind), σάοφρων (temperate), μέτρον (measure) and μέτριος (moderate), according to the problem of ἀρετή (excellence). On the basis of symposium description in the Theognidea and its functions, author shows the crucial social dimension of researched capabilities. He also tries to show how Theognis grasps the wisdom as a quality that has to be tried for and cared for. In the end author states that for Theognis the excellences such as wisdom, justice, sound mind and proper measure are conditio sine qua non for functioning of all social relations – from erotic relations through symposium to polis itself.

This article seeks to examine the evidence for three instances of stasis-prevention efforts from the period of Roman dominion known to us through the medium of Cicero’s Verrines. In doing so, it will build on the work of Berger who examined the phenomenon of stasis in Sicily and Southern Italy during preceding eras and of Eilers who examined the Roman patrons of Greek cities. The article establishes a timeline for the Romans’ efforts and then draws conclusions about the people involved in stasis-prevention in the province and the Romans’ hands-off approach to civic government in Sicily during the Republic.